


i say good morning, you say good night

by heytaetae



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 19:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20783705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heytaetae/pseuds/heytaetae
Summary: donghyuck is not bothered at all with how smarter his boyfriend is than him or how both his family and friends and probably the entire island of jeju absolutely loves him more than he does.although, it did kind of bother him a bit that mark is apparentlyreallysmart that he receives a one-year scholarship for law school in toronto.but all this bothering and worrying goes away whenever he hears mark say "i miss you" through his phone screen.





	1. good morning

Donghyuck doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at his phone screen. He figures it’s been too long since his eyes have already dried and he’s stopped hiccuping. The empty feeling in his chest after hours of crying is finally settling in. 

His phone notifies him of another message but he still doesn’t open it, just like the last fifteen other messages. But he does read the first part before swiping the notification away. 

_Hyuck… talk to me_

Donghyuck feels a new wave of tears coming up and shuts his eyes tight to try and stop them. He swallows in difficulty and decides it’s time. It’s time to admit that whatever he’s doing, shutting them all out, is not going to help him. This time it only took him three hours curled up on his bed in the dark to make him realize. 

He sniffs and breathes in the rest of his tears and finally opens the chat app. 

First, he thanks his friends and assures them he’s alright. Second, he sends an apology to his younger brother for lashing out earlier. 

And third… he calls him. 

Mark answers the call right away, making Donghyuck almost drop his phone from how bright the boy was on his phone screen. He quickly recovers and rushes to turn off his camera so that it was only Mark in his sunlit Toronto room smiling sheepishly at him. 

“Hey.” 

Donghyuck smiles even though he knows Mark can’t see it. “Hi.”

The Mark on screen settles back on his desk chair and nibbles on his bottom lip, probably thinking what to say. He’s always like this. Thinking before speaking. Mark hates it when he says something he regrets. 

Donghyuck takes this time to look at the boy. His black hair is disheveled and pointing everywhere which probably means he just got up from bed. His glasses slip close to the end of his button nose and there are visible bags under his eyes that Donghyuck wants to rub off. He’s wearing a dark blue sweater with his university’s name sprawled across his chest. But even in such a grubby state, Donghyuck can’t help but think he’s the most beautiful thing he’s seen all day. 

Mark starts off carefully, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” Donghyuck mutters. “Not right now.”

“Oh.” Mark’s brows scrunch up together and Donghyuck wishes he could brush his thumb over them. “Do you still wanna talk to me?”

“Always.”

“Okay,” Mark finally smiles again and his eyes sparkle from the sun peeking through the drapes of his dorm. 

Then it comes naturally. Their pace comes back naturally with Mark telling Donghyuck about his classes and how the weather was already freezing even though it was only autumn. Donghyuck tells Mark about how it was such a slow day at their family’s bakery that he ended up just eating day-old bread. Mark whines when he hears Donghyuck yawn as he talks about one of his lectures. Donghyuck laughs at Mark and tells him lawyer talk just doesn’t do it for him. Mark tells Donghyuck how he misses the beaches in Jeju. Donghyuck teases Mark saying the beaches don’t miss his skinny legs at all. Mark talks about his new friend, Lucas, who was also an exchange student. Donghyuck tells Mark how the gang won Mobile Legends or once since he’s been gone. 

The call also ends normally. With about ten minutes of just comfortable silence as Donghyuck watches Mark lean on his arm on his desk and sleepily blink up at what is probably a blank screen. Donghyuck pokes his phone screen to where Mark’s forehead is then immediately pulls his finger away, thinking how silly that was. 

“Hyuck.”

Donghyuck hummed in reply, already feeling drowsy since he’s been up until 3:00am. 

Mark hesitates but he still mumbles out, “I want to see you.”

Donghyuck’s breath hitches and muffles it with his hand, “Not today.”

“Tomorrow?”

Mark’s shiny eyes look so hopeful so it’s only normal for Donghyuck to say, “Okay.”

“And, Hyuck?”

“Yeah?”

“I miss you.”

Donghyuck feels his eyes watering and he’s glad that he was persistent not to show Mark his state right now. He closes his eyes and whispers ‘goodnight’ to the boy thousands of miles away, even as Mark already ended the call a few seconds ago.

*******

Donghyuck is not allowed to use his phone while handling store since he’s easily distracted and it’s apparently rude to the customers when he’s texting his boyfriend while he handles the cash register. Donghyuck has long gone accepted that his mother just won’t listen when he tells her that most of their customers know them since birth anyway and are just as eager to talk to Mark as he is. 

Donghyuck is trying to hand back change to one of their kind neighboring aunts who refuses to take it when suddenly he hears his brother talking over the phone. 

“Hyung’s actually not here, _Mark_,” Jisung yells from the next room and Donghyuck has never jumped over the counter fast enough. “I’m not lying, _Mark_! You just missed h-- Ow! Alright alright! Ah! Hyung, stop!”

Donghyuck climbs the miles of his brother’s long legs - he’s actually not that tall but Donghyuck still hates him for getting all the giant genes despite being younger - and grabs his phone from his brother’s freakishly big hands. 

He kicks back Jisung who is currently trying to pinch him and smiles at the giggling boy on his phone screen, “Hi!”

Mark is wiping tears of laughter off his eyes when manages to let out, “Hey.”

“Mom, Donghyuck’s using his phone right now!” Jisung yells, running away from Donghyuck’s hits. 

“Say hi to Mark for me!” His Mom yells from the kitchen and Jisung gives her a betrayed look before rolling his eyes and going back behind the counter. 

“Mom says hi,” Donghyuck says as he jumps on top of the counter, legs swinging back and forth. 

Mark hums with a goofy grin on his face that Donghyuck loves, “Yeah, I heard. Sorry are you busy? I didn’t realize it was your shift, I thought it already ended.”

Donghyuck shakes his head, “Nah. I still have about an hour left but don’t worry, we can still talk. Jisung’s got it for now.”

“For only five minutes!” Jisung calls out. 

Donghyuck only sticks his tongue out at his brother before going back to the boy inside his phone. 

“Sorry, Jisung!” Mark yells and Donghyuck finds it endearing that he cupped his mouth like he was really calling out to Jisung from far away. “Man, these timezones are still messing me up.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“Maybe not,” Mark yawns and Donghyuck only realizes that the boy must have been getting ready for bed when he settles back on his headboard and takes off his glasses. 

“What time is it there?”

Mark squints at something off screen, probably checking his alarm clock, “3:30.”

“Damn. You should really get some sleep.”

“Yeah! Go to sleep, Mark! Bye, Mark!” Jisung cuts in but Donghyuck shoves him away. 

Mark laughs then immediately stops. “Hey wait, when did he stop calling me hyung?”

Jisung scoffs, “No honorifics in Canada, _Mark Lee_.”

Donghyuck is laughing so hard he almost elbows a basket of croissants. 

Mark groans and pinches the bridge of his nose, “I’ll get back on that brat, just wait.”

“You’d have to get back here first,” Donghyuck pouts. Jisung fake gags from the side so he throws a baguette slice at him. 

“You’re right,” Mark gives him a sleepy smile and Donghyuck so badly wants to ruffle his hair. “Can’t wait to go back.”

“One year.” Donghyuck mumbles and he isn’t sure if Mark actually heard until the boy widens his eyes and sighs. 

“Only nine months left, actually.” 

“Still too long,” Donghyuck says and he doesn’t know why. Fighting is the last thing he wants to do right now with their limited phone call time. 

“Don’t be like that,” Mark says. “Your classes start next week right? Soon you’ll be too busy with senior year that you’ll completely forget all about me.”

Donghyuck scoffs, “Never gonna happen. You’re stuck inside my brain like a fucking parasite, Lee.”

“Language,” Jisung mutters.

Mark laughs but it’s cut off by another yawn. 

“You should get some sleep. Future lawyers need their rest to defend the accused or whatever it is you guys do.”

“That was actually pretty close so I’m proud you at least listen to some of what I say,” Mark says as he fully lies back down on his bed, half of his face now covered by a pillow. 

“Goodnight, Toronto boy.”

“Good morning, Jeju prince,” Mark mumbles and chuckles when he sees Donghyuck blush. 

Then Mark shuts his eyes and lazily waves at the screen as he mumbles out, “I miss you.” 

Donghyuck laughs and waves back before ending the call. 

Donghyuck doesn’t know how he must have looked like after the call but it must have been pretty bad that Jisung hands him some garlic bread to somehow cheer him up. Well… after licking one of them and running away. 

*******

Mark normally calls first since Donghyuck has never been good with making the first move. He and Mark would probably still be stupidly pining over each other if it weren’t for the elder kissing him in an adrenaline rush during his graduation. Donghyuck still gets embarrassed over how the entire town applauded when they finally got together, one of the cons of living on a small island where everybody knows you and apparently who you’ve been in love with since birth. 

Although one of the pros is when Donghyuck gets too embarrassed to call Mark first, he can count on their friends to snatch his phone and call him themselves. 

“You don’t have him saved with a nickname?” Jaemin asks like Donghyuck just offended him. 

“Lame,” Renjun says, head leaning over Jaemin’s shoulder to look through Donghyuck’s phone. 

Jeno comes in and squeezes himself on the other side of Jaemin. “Just call hyung already.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Donghyuck says as he sets up their snacks on the table.

Jaemin shushes him, “Shut up, it’s ringing.”

Donghyuck’s mouth hangs open, “Last time I checked he was _my_ boyfriend.”

“Hey, guys!” Mark voice rings from his phone. 

“Hyung!” All three choruses with wide wicked grins on their faces. 

Donghyuck rolls his eyes and tries to ignore how fast his heart was racing just from hearing Mark’s voice. 

“Where’s Donghyuck?” He hears Mark eagerly ask and yes, his heart has officially stopped. 

Renjun pouts. “We’re the ones who called you, asshole.”

Jeno nods his head fast like an overly excited puppy. “No Donghyuck until you fill us in.”

“Have you put anyone to jail, yet?” Jaemin asks with that scary triangular smile of his. 

Donghyuck hears Mark laugh and the four of them gradually start talking about school then video games then just everything else. It’s times like these that Donghyuck is reminded how Mark will never only be his because the entire town owns him, too. They grew up with him just as long as Donghyuck did so technically he is obligated to share him with everyone else including their best friends. He likes to think Mark is sharing him as well. 

They excitedly talk for around thirty minutes until finally Mark asks, “Can I talk to my boyfriend now?”

Jaemin lets out an exaggerated sigh, “Fine, fine.”

“Miss you, hyung!” Jeno pipes up.

“Come back soon or you’re dead!” Renjun says with the most innocent smile. 

“Bye, guys!” Mark exclaims before Jaemin passes the phone to Donghyuck who’s been silently eating chips on the floor this whole time. 

The three start setting up the Switch to the TV when Donghyuck settles back on the edge of the couch and smiles at the boy on his phone screen. 

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Pick Kirby again, I fucking dare you, Jeno!” Renjun yells.

Donghyuck sighs and decides it’s better to bring their conversation elsewhere or else he would hardly hear Mark through all the screaming. 

He hears Mark chuckle just as he enters the kitchen. 

“Smash bros?”

Donghyuck hops up on one of the cabinets. “Yep. Shit’s about to get down, tonight.”

“I’m gonna be honest, don’t really miss Jaemin threatening to kill me with his controller.”

“You suck at the game anyway.”

“Hey,” Mark whines. 

Donghyuck laughs and for a moment, he starts to feel like Mark is closer. Like he’s really there with him at his family’s kitchen, hiding out and sharing secrets while the rest of their friends are screaming from the next room. Just like before. 

Until the image is shattered and their conversation is cut short when Mark’s alarm clock goes off. 

“Shit,” Mark groans. “Have to get to class.”

“Call me when it ends?” Donghyuck asks, almost cringing at how clingy he sounded.

“Of course,” Mark smiles as he puts on his glasses, struggling doing so with one hand. “Have fun with the gang.”

Donghyuck hums, “Have fun prosecuting people or whatever.”

Mark laughs, “Wrong course, Lee.”

Donghyuck shrugs with a smirk, “Just go to class, nerd.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mark sighs as he gets up from his bed. “Talk to you later?”

Donghyuck nods, “Talk to you later.”

Mark pauses before eventually saying, “I miss you.”

Donghyuck smiles softly at that and presses a wet kiss to the phone’s tiny camera. 

“Gross!” Mark laughs and Donghyuck can’t help but wish he could hear it in real life without static.

*******

The moment school starts for Donghyuck and the rest, Mark has already memorized their schedule as to avoid calling him during class. Donghyuck tries to reason that he could always just hide in the bathroom but of course, being the nerd that he is, Mark would never support misbehavior for proper education. 

That’s why when Mark does call him during Algebra, Donghyuck knows it’s an emergency. He sneaks to an empty staircase and almost drops to his knees when Mark breaks it to him. 

“I’m coming back.”

Donghyuck’s heart falls to his stomach. “What?”

“I’m going back to Jeju,” Mark says, eyes downcast to something Donghyuck can’t see. “This… this isn’t working out as I thought it would.”

“Mark, what are you saying?” Donghyuck asks, frantic. “You can’t be coming back. After everything… you’re just going to give up?”

“I’m not giving up! I’m just… quitting.”

Donghyuck frowns. “_Please_ tell me there’s a difference.”

“Look, I’ve thought a lot about it okay? And I’ve long accepted that I don’t belong here. I belong back there… in Jeju. With my family. With the whole town. With you.”

Donghyuck almost crushes his phone from how tight he’s holding it. “You’re not coming back. This is your dream, Mark, I’m not... I’m not going to let you give that up just because you’re a little homesick.”

“It’s not just that!” Mark exclaims and Donghyuck is caught off guard for a moment because the elder hardly gets mad. Normally he’s better at Donghyuck at keeping his emotions at bay. But this time Donghyuck sees the sturdy wall that is Mark Lee crumbling down right in front of him inside his phone. 

“You don’t get it! None of you do! College is shit! It’s just a constant kick to the ass reminding me that there are thousands of other people better than me and I’ll never be fucking good enough. Here, I’m no longer the prodigy smart guy that everyone thought was so special! Well guess what? I’m not! I’m just…” Mark cuts off to rub off the wetness in his eyes. “I’m just Mark.”

“Do you really think people back here love you only because you’re fucking smart?” Donghyuck cusses. “The town loves you because you’re kind and would never pass by a cat stuck up a fucking tree. Our friends love you because you’re loyal and shit at games. Your family loves you because you constantly give them new reasons to be proud of you. Everyone loves you because you were the only one of us brave enough get out of this fucking town to do what he’s always wanted to do. Nobody fucking cares if you can solve a math problem in ten seconds, Mark. Everyone loves you because you’re you.”

They’re silent for a while. Donghyuck catching his breath and holding back the sobs threatening to come out of his chest. Mark is still furiously rubbing his eyes behind his glasses to hide his tears, making them go red. 

Finally, Mark mutters out, “Do you miss me?”

Donghyuck’s eyes widen. “W-what?”

“Do you miss me?” Mark repeats, eyes glaring at him through the screen. When he figures that Donghyuck isn’t going to answer anytime soon from shock, Mark scoffs. “You’ve never said it, you know. Since I’ve got here you’ve never… I always say it but you…”

Donghyuck feels his head shaking, wanting to deny whatever Mark is thinking but somehow his mouth wouldn’t move. 

Mark looks back at him with the most crestfallen look on his face that absolutely breaks Donghyuck inside and out. “Do you not miss me, Hyuck?”

Donghyuck couldn’t control the sob that he lets out. “M-Mark.”

“Why don’t you want me to come back?” Mark whimpers.

_But I do. So fucking bad._

“B-because,” Donghyuck clears his throat when his voice cracks. “I believe in you. A-and I know you can do it.”

Mark covers his eyes with his hand, jostling his glasses upwards as he cries.

“You’re so close, Mark,” Donghyuck pleads. “You’ve already made it through half a year and we’re all so proud of you.”

Mark shakes his head and sobs. “I’m so tired, Hyuck.”

“You’re allowed to be tired,” Donghyuck mumbles and wishes he were whispering right at the boy’s ear and not at a phone. “You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to be hurt. You’re also allowed to chase your dreams and I know this is what you want to do… so you’re not coming home. I won’t let you give up something we both know you’ll regret later on.”

He lets Mark cry and let it all out. He closes his eyes and presses the phone to his forehead, whimpering at every sob he hears. 

When Mark finally calms down, he’s already lying down on his bed sideways and blinking sleepily with swollen eyes at Donghyuck. 

“I’m sorry,” Mark says quietly.

“Don’t be,” Donghyuck says and sits down on one of the lower steps of the staircase. 

Mark exhales and closes his eyes as he says, “I love you.”

“I love you, too. And, Mark?”

Mark hums in answer, already drifting off.

Donghyuck smiles and speaks loud and clear. 

“I miss you.”

It was like in slow motion when Mark opens his eyes and smiles back at him. “I miss you, too, Hyuck.”

“I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good night, Mark.”

“Good morning, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck ends the call before he regrets it. He rubs his eyes to get rid of any wetness left and breathes in and out. 

The hallway had been so quiet this whole time that he jumps up to his feet when a high voice says, “Hyung?”

Donghyuck turns and is relieved to see it’s one of Jisung’s friends instead of a teacher ready to give him detention. 

“Hey, Chenle.”

The blonde boy tilts his head to the side in wonder, probably noticing how swollen Donghyuck’s eyes are from crying. “Was that Mark hyung just now?”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck sighs. “We were just… he just needed someone.”

Chenle nods in understanding, “I get it. Sometimes I miss Shanghai so much I don’t leave my room at all.”

Donghyuck feels a pinch in his heart at that. Chenle and his parents only moved to South Korea a few years ago for his dad’s job. He can’t even imagine being that young and having to leave the place you grew up in. 

“Do you want to see him?”

Donghyuck chuckles but it sounds empty, “More than anything.”

“No, I mean,” Chenle steps closer with his eyes glinting. “Do you really want to _see_ him?”

Donghyuck stares at the boy in confusion until it all clicks and he shakes his head, “No. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Donghyuck scratches his head, face heating up. “I can’t even speak english.”

Chenle just shrugs. “And I didn’t speak korean.”

Donghyuck watches the boy walk away and, for once, he feels hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was going to make this a one shot but it ended up being longer than i wanted it to be so i divided it into two parts because i just had to get this first part off my chest. 
> 
> fun useless fact: i actually came up with his au during my media law class and lemme tell yah i don't think i'm caught off to be a lawyer at all but then i thought how mark would really fit being this sophisticated law student and then tadah~!
> 
> the second part will hopefully be up by this weekend! so stay tuned for markhyuck's adventure in toronto, canada!
> 
> if you're reading this now, thank you so much!
> 
> feel free to comment and share your thoughts! i am all ears!


	2. good night

Canada was cold. Like crazy _cold_.

Donghyuck doesn’t know how Mark could have survived this cold when the boy absolutely hates winter. He remembers the elder telling him how when he was a kid, way before they even moved to Jeju, he would stay indoors in front of the heater all day. Donghyuck jokes that’s probably why he has such bad eyesight because he’s burned both his irises. 

Luckily Mark’s university was pretty famous so it was easy to just take a cab and tell the driver the name. Afterwards he doesn’t really know what to do. 

It was all just a spur of the moment. It was the holidays so they had the week off and Donghyuck had to full-on puppy eyes plead to his mom to allow him to go across the pacific just to see Mark. He was only lucky his mother adores Mark and agreed as long as he’s come before Christmas. 

Donghyuck fixes the red cap on his head with the little maple leaf on the center. Technically it was Mark’s but the boy figured he could get that anywhere once he gets to Toronto so he just handed it to Donghyuck for now. He’s extremely uncomfortable and underdressed for winter but he thinks about how it would be worth it once he sees _him_.

Once Donghyuck’s standing in front of Mark’s campus, legs shivering and hands tucked deep inside his coat, he thinks how maybe he should have planned this better. He really should have just told the boy he was coming instead of surprising him in a completely unknown goddamn freezing land. 

With more than half a mind to just turn back and run to the airport crying in failure, a hand places itself on his shoulder and if you asked how high Donghyuck jumped in fright, he would have denied it all. 

Hoping maybe in some fate that it was Mark who has found him, Donghyuck swallows back the disappointment when he sees it’s some other tall guy instead. The man is bundled up way more than Donghyuck, with a long wooly scarf that looks handmade and mittens. 

_Mittens. Shit. That would have been really helpful._

“Sorry,” The guy asks with such a deep voice it startles Donghyuck again. It makes him process too slow how the stranger is actually speaking Korean to him. “I don’t mean to sound creepy but are you maybe… Donghyuck?”

Donghyuck realizes he’s only staring that he nods frantically once he runs over what the young man just asked. 

The tall guy smiles wide and Donghyuck can’t help but think how the entire broody persona of the guy just completely melted. “Holy shit! That’s great!”

Donghyuck steps back at his loud voice, making the guy’s hand fall from his shoulder. 

The strange man realizes how this situation must look like so he raises his hands as if to show innocence. “I’m not a stalker, I swear. My name’s Johnny. I’m a friend of Mark’s.”

Donghyuck perks up at that and feels slight warmth in his chest. “Mark?”

Johnny nods with enthusiasm and Donghyuck doesn’t know why he ever found the guy scary. “Oh man, you don’t know how much the kid talks about you. Seriously, you might be great and all but he just won’t shut up about you.”

Donghyuck blushes and looks down at his worn out sneakers.

“I’m guessing he doesn’t know you’re here right? Otherwise, he would have probably been talking our ear off about his pretty boyfriend coming to visit him.”

Donghyuck nods, ears and cheeks reddening even more and it’s not due to the cold. “Do y-you know where he is r-right now?”

Johnny scratches his head in thought. “He’s probably in class right now but we have the next one together. If you’re not too creeped out, you could come with me and we can go there together.”

Donghyuck ponders over stranger danger but also how big this university actually is and he knows nothing about it. 

Donghyuck forces a smile. “I would really appreciate that, thanks.”

“No problem,” Johnny then removes his scarf and wraps it around Donghyuck’s neck despite the shorter’s protest. “First things first, we should really bring you somewhere warm. Mark probably failed to inform you that wearing sneakers during winter in Toronto makes your feet so numb that if you chopped them off you wouldn’t feel a thing.”

This time the laugh that comes out of Donghyuck isn’t forced at all and rubs half his face under the scarf, thankful for any amount of warmth right now.. 

While walking towards the building, Donghyuck learns that Johnny used to live in Seoul until his family moved around a lot and that left them currently here in Canada. Mark’s told him a lot about Jeju island and they’ve talked about going together with the rest of their friends for one summer. Johnny dropped a few classes in his first year that’s why despite being older he has some with Mark who’s a freshman. 

“I don’t mean to make this into some sappy crap but thank you for being here,” Johnny says as he opens the door for Donghyuck. “Mark’s been pretty down the past few weeks and it’s been harder dragging him out of bed.”

Donghyuck feels his heart crumple at that and he hides his misty eyes under his cap. “Thank you, too.” 

Johnny gives him a questioning glance.

Donghyuck avoids the young man’s eyes and mumbles through the scarf, “Thank you for being there with him.”

Johnny gives him another one of his big bear smiles. “No problem. I don’t have any siblings and despite only knowing each other for six months, Mark already feels like the little bro I never had. He’s a good kid.”

Donghyuck smiles back. “He is.”

“Hey, Johnny!”

Then everything disappears. 

Donghyuck turns and sees the boy that’s been orbitting his mind for all eighteen years of his life. 

Because right there, about eight meters from him, is Mark. 

Mark with his big round glasses. Mark with his nerdy red and gold Gryffindor scarf that matches his Slytherin one back at home - gifts from Jeno. Mark with his curly hair sticking out all over the place. Mark with his shiny bright eyes and endearingly crooked smile and red nose. 

Mark. Mark. Mark.

“Mark,” Donghyuck only mumbles but the boy still hears him anyway. And the way Mark’s face absolutely drops and his eyes widen is hilarious that Donghyuck would have laughed if he wasn’t sure he had the exact same expression on him. 

“Hyuck?”

Donghyuck doesn’t know what to do so he just awkwardly lifts his hand up in a wave and says stupidly, “Hi.”

It snaps Mark out of his shock and his face lifts up to a big goofy smile. He jogs towards them and tackles the boy it almost knocks them both over. Donghyuck is giggling against his neck when Mark picks him up and spins them around in a clumsy circle. 

Once Mark puts him down, he cups Donghyuck’s face with warm hands to press their foreheads together. 

“Hey.”

Donghyuck’s cheeks hurt so much from smiling as he softly bumps his nose against Mark’s.

_Fucking finally_.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Mark whispers right next to his ear and Donghyuck also can’t believe he’s finally hearing it without the speakers of his phone. 

Then Mark lifts his head and scrunches his nose up cutely and god Donghyuck misses him so much. 

“Why do you smell like old spice?” Mark asks with mirth in his eyes.

Johnny, who Donghyuck almost forgets was there, kicks Mark’s leg with a frown. “You’re welcome for bringing him here, you asshole.”

Mark barks out a laugh as removes his arms around Donghyuck. Before he could whine from the lost of contact, Mark moves to unfurl Johnny’s scarf around his neck and tosses it to his tall friend. Donghyuck can’t stop the flush on his cheeks when Mark removes his own scarf to place it around him, his senses filling up with elder’s watermelon shampoo.

Mark’s brows scrunch up in the middle as he goes to rub his hands over Donghyuck’s ears which are probably redder than the scarf. “You dumby. Why didn’t you wear warmer clothes?”

“But I have my heater right here,” Donghyuck snuggles back in Mark’s arms and ignores how there are probably people walking around them. 

Normally they weren’t this public with affection but this time Donghyuck thinks fuck it, he’s been deprived of this for six whole months. 

“Well then,” Johnny says, clapping his hands together to get their attention. “Imma leave you two lovebirds and get to class for, y’know, education. I’m guessing you’ll be absent today, Morkley?”

Mark rolls his eyes despite the grin on his face. “Thanks for this, man. Taeyong’s already inside waiting for you, by the way.”

Donghyuck is surprised to see the blush forming on the taller’s face. Johnny raises his hand to fix the strands of his hair and coughs. “R-right. Cool.”

“Thank you for everything, Johnny-hyung.” Donghyuck adds, truly meaning it. 

“No problem,” Johnny lightly flicks Donghyuck’s cap. “If you’re staying for long, maybe we could all hang out or something.”

Mark pouts and twists sideways to pull Donghyuck away. “Nuh-uh. I’m not letting you guys corrupt him.”

Johnny snickers. “No escape, kid. See you guys around, yeah?”

“Bye, Johnny-hyung!” Donghyuck waves to the taller guy walking away as much as he can while constrained under Mark’s arms. 

“Have fun! Don’t do anything I would do, Mark!” Johnny calls out as he disappears around the corner of the hallway. 

Mark scoffs but the sarcasm fades from his face once he looks back at Donghyuck. 

Donghyuck snickers and tiptoes to lightly bump their noses again. 

“I missed you,” Mark mumbles, his breath fanning Donghyuck’s cheek. 

Donghyuck snuggles closer, finally feeling complete after months. 

“We should go in case my professor catches us,” Mark takes his hand and tucks it inside his coat pocket like a freaking drama and Donghyuck hates that he’s in love with a cheeseball. 

“Are you sure it’s okay to skip class?”

Mark gasps. “Lee Donghyuck is worried about proper education? People really do change!” 

Donghyuck rolls his eyes and bumps their hips together, “Shut up. Back in high school you never would have skipped anything if it weren’t for me.”

“I guess things haven’t changed at all. This is actually the first class I’ve ever cut this semester.”

“Nerd.”

“_Your_ nerd.”

*******

Kissing Mark was always easy. 

Donghyuck jokes that the elder is only lucky he’s never kissed anyone else besides Mark so that there wouldn’t be any competition. Although he only teases to soothe the burn of the fact that Mark has kissed someone before him. 

He remembers a red faced Mark barging into their bakery and stuttering over how Seulgi from a year above them had confessed with a kiss. Donghyuck laughed at how flustered the boy was but deep down he was containing the ugliest green monster inside him. Seulgi graduated and the two never even got to go on a date. Donghyuck sent her a whole tray of cupcakes when she moved. 

Their first kiss was only a rush of emotions that Donghyuck could hardly remember anything about it except how happy he was. The ones after just came so naturally. Comes with years of friendship and pining probably. 

Back at Jeju, there was always a feeling of caution in fear that someone might catch them. Not because they would be judged, God knows how everyone on the island is incredibly relieved they’ve stopped dancing around each other, but simply because it was embarrassing. Mark may be loved by everyone but the boy actually hates the attention and his ears get so red Donghyuck fears they would fall off. 

But here, in Mark’s two-room dorm, with his roommate, Lucas, at a three-hour long lecture, and a single cramped up bed, they had all the time in the world. 

Mark hasn’t actually kissed Donghyuck, not yet. The elder is straying away from his lips and slowly placing kissing all over Donghyuck’s face. From his eyelids, to his nose, his cheeks, his forehead. Donghyuck holds back a whine when Mark goes to kiss just under his jaw and starts brushing his lips over his neck. 

“Mark,” he whimpers. 

He feels Mark smirk on his skin. When Mark finally raises his head, Donghyuck presses their mouths together. 

“Hyuck,” Mark mumbles against his lips and Donghyuck only feels slightly embarrassed how he willingly opens his mouth for the boy. 

This would be the part where someone, Mark’s mom, Jisung, or any of the gang, would come barging in to break them apart. But no one comes in. And Donghyuck is both terrified and sated when Mark pulls him on top of him as lays down on the bed. 

Mark slides a warm hand under his shirt and Donghyuck’s breath hitches. He hopes the elder didn’t hear but then Mark pulls away from their kiss. 

He opens his eyes and meets Mark’s sparkling black orbs staring at him softly. 

“W-what?” Donghyuck stutters, hands shaking as they clutch on to Mark’s hoodie.

Then he’s being shifted and the hand up his shirt is gone to move him so that they’re now lying sideways facing each other. And Mark… Mark is just hugging him now. 

Donghyuck tries to slow down his breathing so that it wouldn’t tickle Mark’s neck. “What are you doing?”

“Stupid,” Mark whispers and it ruffles Donghyuck’s hair. “If you don’t want to, you can tell me.”

Donghyuck raises a shaky hand to wrap it around the boy’s torso. 

Mark holds him closer, pressing his face on the top of Donghyuck’s head. “Please talk to me, Hyuck. Please never think you can’t.”

Donghyuck could only nod as he snuggles against Mark’s neck. 

“Missed you. A lot.”

Mark moves to place a soft kiss against his forehead, “Good night, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck smiles, feeling completely content that he finally gets to say back, “Good night, Mark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really did this instead of studying for my exams tomorrow lol
> 
> since i started this with donghyuck alone and sad on his bed, i wanted to finish it with the two of them together and happy so... ta-dah~
> 
> but let me know if you guys want another chapter for the two of them like an epilogue of sorts where mark finally comes back home to jeju? maybe? or maybe another part about another pair? just lemme know!
> 
> and if you guys have any other thoughts feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> thank you so much if you've read up until here! 
> 
> all the love <3


	3. epilogue: hey, hi

“Has he eaten?” 

“Not a bite.”

“This is weird.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him hold a broom.”

“I didn’t even think he knew where the broom was.”

“Going to America really changed him.”

“It’s Canada, you dumb ass.”

“Canada _is_ in America, stupid.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes and throws his spiderman plushie at his bedroom door. “I can hear you!”

The door creaks open and Jaemin’s head pops in with his usual wicked grin, “Need help, babe? Or whatever Mark calls you.”

Renjun’s head slides from under him with the same evil smile, “Nah. I bet your nerd boyfriend calls you honey or some sappy shit.”

Jeno appears under Renjun with his puppy eyes looking up, “Am I the only one who thinks hyung seems like the type to use sweetheart?”

And to add to his annoyance, Jisung crawls from under all of them to peek inside, “Please kick them out. Jaemin-hyung keeps kissing my cheek and I want to die.”

Donghyuck throws a shoe next and all four heads slip outside to dodge the attack. 

He sighs heavily when the calendar hanging from the back of his door falls down. He picks it up and feels his grumpy mood disappear when he sees the one date with red ink encircled over it with hearts all over. 

Tomorrow was the day. 

Tomorrow, Mark comes home. 

*******

Mark looks around his dorm room one last time. Everything is already in boxes and bags, most he’ll have to wait to be shipped. He opens his phone and smiles at the screen. 

His lockscreen, despite his boyfriend’s protests, is a picture of Donghyuck trying to fit in an entire piece of bread into his mouth after Jisung told him he couldn’t. He remembers squishing Donghyuck’s cheeks as he chews and leaning close to leave small kisses all over his face no matter how much the younger struggled to pull away. 

Just then he gets a notification from messenger. He clicks it excitedly, thinking it’s from the one boy he’s been thinking about at every hour. Mark gets a little underwhelmed when sees it’s from Jeno but still happy to get an update from his best friend. 

It’s a video and the thumbnail is too blurry to point anything out so he plays it right away after he’s put on his earphones. 

Jeno’s face appears with his puppy eyes staring up at him, “Hyung! Please hurry home! Donghyuck’s gone crazy!”

A stray shoe flies too near beside Jeno’s head but the boy dodges it on time. He hears cackling in the background that he knows is Jaemin’s laugh. The camera shakes again until it focuses on Jaemin and Mark winces in disgust when the boy kisses the phone screen with a loud smack. “Have a safe flight, hyung!”

He hears a deformed screech as a huge mass pounces at Jaemin almost making him drop the phone but luckily Jeno snatches it on time to video what appears to be Donghyuck wrestling his friend on the floor. The video ends just as his boyfriend has got Jaemin on a chokehold. 

Mark muffles his laughter behind his hand and screenshots the image. It was just too funny not to save. 

Mark looks up from his phone when he hears a knock by the door.

Johnny pops his head in, “Hey, man. You ready to go?”

Mark takes one last look at Donghyuck laughing hysterically as he chokes one of their best friends on pause. He pockets his phone and smiles brightly at his tall friend.

“Ready.”

*******

Donghyuck stares at the shop’s door with his heart the most anxious it’s ever been. 

He’s done sulking over the fact that both his mom and Mark have refused letting him go straight to the airport to pick him up since they had graduation practice. Seeing that his argument over how he knows how to freaking march up and down a stage without practice would not make them change their minds, Donghyuck is stuck on shop duty to wait. 

Mark’s parents already left an hour ago when they sent him a text assuring him of updates. Even Johnny, who has recently added him on Kakaotalk, reassures him that he safely dropped off Mark at the airport. 

But it’s been an entire hour and thirty seven minutes and still no text. 

To say Donghyuck is dying from worry is an understatement.

Did something happen? Was his flight delayed? Did the idiot miss his flight? Oh god, what if the plane crashed and--

Something else crashes against their glass door and Donghyuck jumps up, thinking it’s the older boy. He slumps back behind the counter when he sees it’s just that stupid old cat that bumps its head on their door everyday. 

Donghyuck sighs heavily and goes to bring out his phone only to drop it. He flinches at the resounding crack it sounds and prays the damage isn’t that big. 

As he bends over to pick it up, the bell over the door rings as someone enters. 

“Can I have one bagel to go?”

Donghyuck panics over the english words and wonders how he’s had the bad luck of having a foreigner as a customer today of all days until he straightens back up and almost drops his phone again at the boy in front of him. 

In Toronto, it seemed like it was always winter. Which Mark hated because he hated the cold just as much as Donghyuck. But the younger still loved how precious Mark looked under snow, nose and ears red. 

Seeing him now, with the sunlight behind and his hair and clothes already covered with bits of sand as well as a light flush on his cheeks from the heat, Donghyuck decides Mark looks best during the summer. 

Mark fixes the strap of his bag on his shoulder and coughs to try and hide the blush blooming on his face. 

“Hey.”

That one word breaks Donghyuck out of his shock and he rushes around the counter to give the boy he’s missed everyday a big tight hug. 

Donghyuck shuts his eyes tight and nuzzles his faces against Mark’s pale neck. He feels Mark press his face against his hair and let out a shaky sigh. The two hold each other tighter and tighter with each breath.

After a long _long_ while, Donghyuck finally pulls away yet still extremely close so that only their foreheads were touching. When Mark exhales, he feels it directly on his own mouth which makes him whimper. His eyes are still closed but he knows that the wet press on his eyelid was Mark kissing him. Donghyuck laughs and leans closer so that Mark could press kisses all over his face.

“Hey,” Mark tries again.

Donghyuck opens his eyes and is relieved to see the boy still in front of him. He’s really home now. 

Mark’s home.

“Hi.” 

*******

The walk back to Mark’s house was a long trip. 

Not because it was far away but because at every corner, someone would ambush them as soon as they see Mark. 

The old married couple with the juice bar across from Donghyuck’s bakery took about ten minutes patting Mark everywhere, his cheek, his head, his shoulder, his butt (making Mark blush). Before they could walk away, they gave them free watermelon shakes to go. 

The vet where Mark used to work part time were ecstatic to see him and asked him questions about college and Canada. Donghyuck kept rolling his eyes but he was happy to get at least a few minutes to play with the puppies running around the store.

When they passed by the fishing port, all the fishermen waved happily at them and Mark greeted them just as excitedly. 

They even stumbled upon Mark’s old opthamologist who was so happy to have back that he offered to give the boy new frames for his glasses. Mark humbly declined and laughed when Donghyuck piped up how he needed glasses but was ignored because he always breaks them anyway.

When they finally arrived at Mark’s house, the two of them were tackled to the ground. Among the mess of limbs and laughter, Donghyuck didn’t have to open his eyes to know it was their friends. Jaemin was kissing Mark’s head repeatedly, Renjun kept cursing at Mark with threats to never leave again, Chenle was laughing so loud against both their ears, Jisung was a mess as he kept sobbing into Mark’s shoulder, and Jeno was crushing all of them in one big tight hug. 

And all throughout all the excitement of Mark’s homecoming, Donghyuck couldn’t stop smiling because Mark has not once let go of his hand. 

*******

Donghyuck wakes up with arms wrapped tightly around him. 

At first he panics, thinking somebody just broke into his room and oh god is this how he dies? 

Then he smells watermelon, the sea, and soap. 

_Mark._

And sure enough, when he opens his eyes, Mark’s sleeping face meets him. It’s not perfect. Mark is a heavy sleeptalker so he’s mumbling gibberish with the heaviest of morning breaths. Acne splatters across all over his young face and his lips are chapped and dry. His hair gets really curly when he sleeps and now it’s all over the place while tickling Donghyuck’s forehead. 

But somehow, it’s a sight that Donghyuck wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. 

He snuggles closer and tucks his face against Mark’s long neck. Mark stirs in his sleep and pulls Donghyuck closer while mumbling, “No, Hyuck… don’t eat the cookie... mine...”

Donghyuck muffles his giggle on Mark’s shirt and whispers, “Yours.”

He closes his eyes again and thinks how a little more sleep wouldn’t hurt. 

EXACTLY ONE YEAR BEFORE

“Mark,” Donghyuck starts but Mark shakes his head and presses their foreheads together, eyes shut tight like he’s in pain. 

“Please don’t say it. I don’t think I can stand another goodbye right now.”

Donghyuck brushes his nose against Mark’s. “It’s not goodbye, you dummy.”

Mark chuckles and it sounds empty. He pulls away but not before pressing a quick peck on the bridge of Donghyuck’s nose. “Shit, I hate this.”

“But it will be all worth it, right?” Donghyuck beams up at him. 

He’s relieved when Mark smiles back. “Right.”

Donghyuck kisses the smile he’ll miss everyday. 

“I love you, Mark Lee.”

“I love you, Lee Donghyuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again thank you so much to everyone that has given this story love. this has been the first markhyuck story that i've ever completed so it's no surprise that it now has a special place in my shipper heart.
> 
> i hope to write more soon although i haven't really been in the best state of mind or mental health nowadays....i just wish writing will still be part of my healing process. 
> 
> please if you've been having a hard time or feel any bit of loneliness, please reach out to your loved ones. 
> 
> all the love.


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